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Graham Thorpe dies aged 55

hazsa19

International Regular
Genuinely been sad all day since hearing this news. Thinking back it feels like I spent entire summer holidays sat on the floor in front of the tv watching him bat. I must've been one of thousands of kids to bat with a kookaburra just because of him. Tried and failed to bat like him too. RIP Thorpey thanks for the wonderful memories 😢
 

BigBeefy

Cricket Spectator
55 is just no age- RIP to a wonderful cricketer and of course thoughts go out to his loved ones :(

Another reminder of how precious life is.

Reading some of the earlier comments and can relate - watching Thorpe, Langer and Ponting in my childhood peaked my interest in Kookaburra bats (was he the only Englishman of the 90s to use one?)

Wonderful memories of youth- popping over to this magical little independent sports shop in Wolverhampton called Ron Flowers, getting my hands on all the bats I’d watched in the Ashes series where the Aussies had dominated us. Athers and Nass’ Grey-Nicholls, Butch’s Slazenger V500 was it? And of course, Thorpeys Kookaburra. Dreaming of days where we might one day win a series again.

When it’s all said and done those bits of magic is what it is all about. Your sporting heroes inspiring you and sprinkling a bit of magic into your life.

Thank you Graham for your part in that, may you rest in peace 💙
 

Moss

International Captain
Tragic news. True batting hero of the nineties and after. The start of his career coincided with the time we finally got to see regular cricket broadcasts from elsewhere in India, and I watched a fair bit of England’s series in that time. Typically I spent a lot of time obsessing over G. Hick and why he couldn’t crack it, when it really should have been on Thorpe and how he was cracking it (developing that tremendous pull shot after being inspired by Lara in ‘94, applying the lessons in playing spin from D. Fletcher in 2000-01 on those subcontinent tours, etx). Just loved his ability to get out there and get on with it irrespective of the match situation.

Was a pity we never got to see the best of him in India, England toured exactly once (!) during his career and he played one test before personal problems took over I think. Felt genuinely happy for him when he scored that ton against South Africa at the Oval on his return to the side in 2003. Really hope he was finally at peace in the last 2 decades.
 

Boy_Blunder

First Class Debutant
Can only think of Root better against spin from these shores in my lifetime. Am I wrong?
Pietersen smacking Murali around Edgebaston in 2006 is the most iconic single performance against spin I can remember.

Switch hitting is pretty common now, but not then.

I don't think there will be many others that could match Thorpe though.
 

TheJediBrah

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Which pissed me off before the series started, pissed me off after the series finished, and still pisses me off now.
tbf to selectors he wasn't technically dropped for Bell, he was dropped for KP who was looking one of the best bats in the world at the time and ended up England's best bat in the series easily

But Bell was terrible and it's hard not to get annoyed in hindsight that Thorpe sat out for him
 

BazBall21

International Captain
There is an added cruelty that Thorpe never won an Ashes series despite always doing well against Australia individually. It would have been the finish he richly deserved. I can understand why they went with Bell - but one of the best batsmen in the world being discarded was unfair. Can't be too sad about that though when Thorpe still conjured up many great memories elsewhere.
 

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